Performance for The Gentleman

The humble suit.

If, like me, you find yourself suited and booted for seventy-five per cent of the week then this two-piece quickly becomes a staple in the wardrobe. However, it can be tough to find the perfect option. Usually you compromise style for performance. Sure a wool suit looks the business but after the daily grind it can begin to look like an ageing sheep. Performance suits may survive the stress of daily life, but you just don’t feel the part. Luckily, Marks and Spencer have the answer to this truly modern-day problem: the Navy Slim Fit Performance Suit.

The outfit is incredibly durable with a flexible waistband and natural stretch fabric. Both, allowing you to move as you please. Short of tearing the suit off, grabbing a red cape and attempting to fly, you really don’t feel like you are constricted in any way. However, sharp tailoring and an excellent wool blend ensures a great fit to the body and the look is incredibly sharp.

I paired the suit with a pair of tan Luxury Brogues, also from Marks and Spencer. I’ve always considered blue and brown a great combination in sartorial colour matching; formal enough to wear to work, whilst a little bit more fun and colourful than the standard black-and-blue combination.

Now, if you’ve read this far then I’ll let you in on a little secret…the suit is almost waterproof! Considering the indecisiveness of Zeus and co. when it comes to determining the British weather, it becomes almost impossible to predict the chance of getting caught in a shower, especially on a hectic weekday. The water repellant technology in this fabric deserved a worthy adversary, so without further adieu, I present to you a fool in a suit running through a very heavy stream of water.

The verdict? The water literally ran off the fabric! It was an incredible feat, especially considering the styling of the suit but the fabric held up strong. After a couple of minutes shaking off the raindrops that had settled I was as good as new, albeit with a slightly transparent white shirt.

The suit was superb and took anything I could throw at it. It may not turn you into Superman, but at least you can feel, and certainly look, the part.